JM: "I had done a bit of work for City on matchdays in the chairman’s suite but I was mainly doing private jobs but I must have done something right.

“I started with the chairman but then City rang me and said Kevin needed a chef for Christmas and it snowballed from there.

“People have approached me with lots of crazy ideas about how I got started working with players but it really was as simple as that.

“I had been working with Luke for around two months and we had kept things quiet. Then the photos came out and there was such a great reaction that he was happy for us to talk about the diet changes I made to help him put even more hard work in."

UTD NEWS

KEANO-KO

SunSport: The way to man’s heart is through his stomach and you seem to have hit it off with some huge stars, who probably don’t let too many people into their inner-circle, any idea how?

JM: “I would say that Ilkay and I are friends now but I never forget that I work for him and that divide is important.

“Luckily for me, Ilkay loves to experiment and try new things so he is almost my guinea pig for new recipes – anything except peppers and coriander that is!

“Clubs seem to trust me now because of the calibre of clients I have got and how the players are performing.

"Results are speaking for themselves but I am always open and interested in assistance if I think a player isn’t reacting well or enjoying things.”

Prem-winning curry

This is one of the players' favourites and is seen on the meal preps a lot as it’s requested by the boys.

1 onion

Garlic purée - 2 second squeeze

Tomato purée - 1 second squeeze

Curry powder - 2tbsp

Garam masala - 1tbsp

Ground coriander - 1tbsp

Ground cumin - 1tbsp

Beetroot juice - 2 cups

Diced chicken - 2 breasts

Raw beetroot - x2 diced into little cubes

Broccoli

- Fry the onion and garlic until soft, add the spices and mix well

- Add the tomato purée and raw beetroot and mix well

- Pour in the beetroot juice and add the chicken, leave to cook for 20mins until chicken is cooked

- Cut off florets of broccoli and place in food processor and blitz until broken down and resembles couscous, then heat in microwave for 1min, stirring every 30 seconds

SunSport: We see how much sports science changes every day and how ever-changing managers ban certain sauces, chips or drinks, how do you keep up with it all?

JM: “I had worked in Michelin starred restaurants before and had a knowledge of nutrition. I used my understanding and just expanded it each week.

“It changes all the time but I have guys helping me deliver meals all over the country now and the guys nearby in Manchester share their schedule with me, or I speak to their wives or girlfriends and we go from there.

“I’ll ask what nights they need meals, what nights they are travelling or are out at an event and we arrange the week around that.

“I have a close relationship with the Man City sports nutritionist and the coach, because that is where I started. I used to send them photos of every meal I made Ilkay and Kevin, just so they knew my approach to portion size and other things.

“If Ilkay was to say to me he wanted a nice curry, but it obviously had to be a very healthy version.

"Then I have to go away and devise a way of making a version of a curry that he will enjoy but still meets all the demands of a top level sportsman.”

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SunSport: Revolutionary diets are all the rage and nutrition is such big business, are any clients going vegan or taking lessons from you as well as dinners?

JM: " I have had a few clients who have changed to become vegans, a few change because they like the idea of losing a bit of weight and it works short-term but it often doesn’t suit their bodies and demands.

"Sometimes with so much training they can end up feeling a little bit faint or light headed, for some people it works and for others it doesn’t.